Originally Posted by
hungarianbusdriver
Hey guys
Im not a BA or LH pilot either, so I dont really have an actual insight, but reading through this thread I find many people saying it can be tiring with junior triple rosters for example.
(They have every right to do say this, though. It is certainly hard work. Its still only my curiousity thats writing this. + I might want to join at a later stage since my countries flag carrier is non-existant anymore
)
So basically my question is 5.5 legs a month that bad? I mean basically they are 6-8 hour long sectors with two pilots if Im correct. You get a layover after that, then back to base and two/three days off. So the actual working days would be 10-15.
With a LCC even if you are fixed 5/4 you will be doing 4 sector really long 10-12+ hour days. I mean, 1-2 am finish 7pm report time the same day.
Even with taking jet lag and other factors into account, I still think it is much easier than any other flying job.
But I want to see from someone who actually does it.
It is worth pointing out that this is MY opinion therefore yours does not have to match. I have never ever done it, so I dont have an actual insight as I said. Thats why I am asking this, so please dont take this offensively, because it is not at all.
Clear skies to everyone!
Just to add to the tiring aspect of the flying. At the bottom of the 777 roster you will be doing 5-6 trips a month and majority 3 day trips either to east coast USA or Middle east/India. Nearly all of those flights are mid morning/midday report, day flights. 24 hours off and then night flight back 2 crew. If you commute to work, that night flight back means that potentially you could have woken up in New York at 7am on a Monday, had some fun in NYC, reported for work to fly back departing at 7pm (12 hours after waking up in NYC), 6 hour flight back landing at 6-8am UK time, then your flight/commute back (20-24 hours awake sometimes). Now its midday UK Tuesday time so you need to have a quick nap and then hold on until 8pm that night to get a big night of sleep. 2 days off and back at it again. The pay I've been shown is good for an FO in the UK.
In reality its not as bad as above as controlled rest is a big part of mitigation and also napping downroute before report. You will definitely learn ways to cope but I just wanted to showcase how it can be.